Jewel: "I Love J. Lo's Body" But "I Will Never Have Her Little Waist or Her Abs"

When Jewel first found fame in the mid-'90s, the singer/songwriter was devastated when her body was mocked in the press. "I was heavier when I got into the business, and I remember getting written up as the 'chubby ReneeZellweger,'" the 38-year-old says in the May issue of Health.

Jewel continues, "I was either going to turn to bulimia, which most of the other girls that I was around were doing, or to diet pills, which most of the celebrities I knew were doing. Or I was going to do it the right way, because that's the only way that will last. That attitude helped save my health in the long run."

These days, the "You Were Meant for Me" singer stays healthy by eating organic foods. "I try to follow a 'biblical diet,' which has nothing to do with religion, but with eating things as they originally came out of the ground, before there was genetic altering of food," says Jewel, mom to son Kase, 21 months, with husband TyMurray. "We have become more obsessed with having a shiny apple than with having an apple that doesn't give us cancer."

Though she's slimmer than ever, the native Alaskan can appreciate a woman with curves. "I love J. Lo's body. I will never have her little waist or her abs, and I'll never have her booty. But I have other assets, hopefully!" the actress and poet tells Health. "I love Beyonce's body, too. They are healthy, beautiful women. I've seen J. Lo gain five pounds, like we all have, and she looks great. She owns it. She's just like, 'Yeah, there it is. Boom.'"